City job is there for the taking

Richard Shaw has confirmed that he is keen on becoming the next Coventry City manager as the former Sky Blues defender and Lee Carsley prepare the side for Tuesday night's League Cup tie against Birmingham City at the Ricoh Arena.

Andy Thorn's sacking has thrust the duo, both vastly experienced players, into the managerial limelight just a short time after they became part of Thorn's coaching staff.

Early names in the frame for the job include Dennis Wise and Kevin Blackwell and it is possible that City will not want to appoint someone to their first job as a manager given that immediate promotion back to the Championship is such a necessity for the cash-strapped club.

Shaw and Carsley however will command the respect of both players and supporters from the off and have worked with the squad throughout the summer. The three league fixtures so far have seen City come within a whisker of returning a seven or nine-point haul meaning that the squad is there to mount a challenge albeit now with a different hand on the tiller.

Having joined CCFC as Chief Scout it could be that Andy Thorn's judgement in the transfer market was still rated enough by the hierarchy to back him over the summer but that they did not believe in his ability then to turn this players into contenders on the training pitch.